Between Light and Darkness
by Bobo-is-tha-bomb
Summary: Next installment to the Claire-Obscure series. Bakura finds a girl on the streets and takes her in. His actions cause a lot of rumors and bad publicity for the band, and the girl turns out to have a secret. And she intends to stay... BakuraxMana
1. Chapter 1

So, I'm finally posting this one! :p

It's been a while, but I wanted to complete both 'Chasing the Light' and 'A far away Shine' on Freedom of Speech fanfiction, before starting on the new story.

So, welcome to Bakura's story! It's the first time that I write a story from a guy's point of view in this series, and I'm very much liking it. Bakura is fun! XD

I hope you'll enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any of the songs I use in this story.

**Between Light and Darkness**

**Chapter 1**

I found her in an alleyway. She was shivering from the cold, but she was asleep. She was young, maybe sixteen or seventeen. What was she doing out here, on the street? Her hair and face were dirty, not to mention her clothes. It was clear she didn't have a caring friend somewhere, who let her use their shower once in a while.

I remembered how Yami used to sneak into our house to take a shower. He didn't want my parents to know, afraid that they would take him to the police, or child services, or worse… to his mother.

I couldn't tell if the girl's hair was brown or black. There was little light in the alleyway. I sighed. I had to be crazy to even consider it. I crouched down to lift her up. The girl shifted and I looked down at her face. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, giving me a glimpse of the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.

"It's alright," I told her. "I'm going to take you to some place warm."

She leaned her head against my shoulder and shut her eyes again. I started walking. My apartment wasn't far away. I was glad I was wearing a beanie. I hoped that none would recognize me. I didn't want my friends to see pictures of me carrying a homeless girl around in some magazine. It was bad enough that those magazines published articles about Yami and Meca.

I reached my apartment and managed to open the door, without waking the girl. I walked inside, kicking the door shut with my foot. I lowered her down on the couch. In her sleep she shifted, getting more comfortable.

I took off my coat and tossed it into the hallway. I would hang it up later. I went into my bedroom to grab a change of clothes. That girl wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, so I might as well take a shower.

When I walked back into the living room, the girl was still asleep. I noticed that the light on my answering machine was blinking and I walked over, pushing the button.

"_Hiya, 'kura!"_

Her voice made me smile.

"_I just wanted to let you know that I've come up with some music. I thought you might want to write the lyrics to it, so you wanna come over tomorrow? Call me, alright? Bye!"_

I sighed. I should stop thinking about her in the way I did. I should forget about her and move on. She loved Yami too much to give him up. Yes, I'm in love with my friend's girlfriend. But I'm not the type to go and break them apart. Meca was happy with Yami.

Yami sometimes was a stupid idiot, who did stupid things. Like that time when he had signed our first record deal. I had been so angry with him for doing that to Meca. He had hurt her, and back then I hadn't been able to let that fact go. But Meca had forgiven him, and so did I. He was still my friend. I couldn't stay angry at him forever.

I reached for the phone. Work with Meca tomorrow. I hoped she wouldn't spray that mouthwatering perfume all over herself like last time. It had made me think of things I **really **shouldn't think about. I dialed the number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," I said.

"You got my message?"

"Yeah… Tomorrow is fine."

"Great! Ah…" She was distracted for a moment, and I heard Yami ask her something about a notebook in the background.

"It's in the top drawer," I heard her say.

Her voice always changed when she talked to Yami. It always held a warm undertone that made my stomach flutter. Too bad she would never talk to me in that way.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Can you come over at… Let's say two?"

"Sure." I glanced over to the girl on the couch. She was still sleeping. "I'll be there."

"Alright! See you tomorrow then."

"Bye." I hung up.

So, what to do now?

I didn't want to turn on the TV, afraid I would wake the girl. I glanced at the notebook that lay open on the table. I had been playing around with some lyrics before going over to have dinner at Marik's place. I sat down at the table and pulled the notebook towards me. I read over the lyrics and sighed. I should ask Yami and Meca to take a look at them. I had hid some dead point, and no doubt, they could help me out.

I was curious about what music Meca had written.

My thoughts drifted back to the girl on the couch. I glanced over at her. Her hair was brown, I discovered. She would be pretty if she cleaned herself up. She had turned over on her side, her head resting on her arm. Her hair was a tangled mess that obscured a part of her face.

Who was she? How long had she been living on the streets and why, above all? I hadn't seen any flyers around town about a missing girl. She had to be from somewhere else then. She hadn't said anything at all when I had lifted her up. She had just gone back to sleep. Was she so naïve to trust me? I could have been a serial killer.

I snorted at my own thoughts. Right…

But she was naïve, alright. I wasn't the safest person to be around with my anger management problems. Kisara still avoided me after my little episode on tour, now almost two years ago. I had apologized to her, but she was still quick to hide behind Seto if I came too close for her liking.

The girl on the couch shifted and made a noise in the back of her throat. She turned over on her back, stretched, and then shot up into a sitting position. Her eyes were wide, frantically darting around the room. She was quick to get up.

I watched her calmly. She was frightened, and I thought it was best to stay where I was. She looked at me and froze. I slowly got up.

"So, you're awake," I said. "Do you want to take a shower?"

The girl backed up. She was quivering in fear and I wondered why. I hadn't done anything to her.

"You can stay here for a while, if you like," I offered. "It's cold inside."

She stopped moving. It seemed like she was considering my words. I hoped she would. Young girls like her shouldn't be out on the streets.

**- End chapter 1 - **

Next chapter should be up in a week or two. I'm doing my best to graduate, so school is my priority at the moment!

Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

Time for the second chapter! :)

Enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any of the songs I use in this story.

**Between Light and Darkness**

**Chapter 2**

I still didn't know her name. She hadn't spoken one single word since she had woken up. I had made her something to eat and then went to search for some clothes for her. She had a small frame, so my clothes would probably dwarf her, but they were better than the dirty clothes she was wearing.

When I went back into the living room, I found her staring off into nothing. Her plate was empty.

"Do you want some more?" I asked her.

She jumped and looked at me.

"Do you want some more?" I asked again.

She slowly shook her head.

"Do you want to shower then?"

A nod.

"Alright. Follow me." I turned and walked back into the hallway.

She followed me into the bathroom, but kept as much distance as possible between us. I pointed at the clothes I had collected for her.

"You can put these on after you're finished, okay?" I said. "I'll wash your clothes for you."

She nodded. I left the bathroom. I heard the door shut behind me and the lock being turned. She wasn't naïve after all. I couldn't help but smirk. I entered the guest room and turned on the light. She would stay here. I checked if Ryo had tidied it up the last time he had stayed here, and then went into the living room again.

I was watching TV, when she returned. She looked young and vulnerable. Her hair was longer than I had first thought and she had a lot of it. And then I mean **a lot**. She gave me a small, timid smile, and I attempted a smile in return. She walked over and sat down on the other end of the couch.

"Feeling better?" I asked her.

She nodded and started to twist a wet lock of hair around her finger.

"What's your name?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. She didn't want to tell me.

"I'm Bakura," I told her.

She nodded.

I had to win her trust. Why wouldn't she talk? Telling me her name would make things a lot easier. I turned my attention back to the TV. It was better to have patience, instead of pushing things. She'd tell me her name sooner or later.

-x-x-x-

Meca swung open the door with a bright smile. My heart tightened in my chest. She looked so damned beautiful. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. "Hi!"

"Hey," I said.

She stepped aside to let me in. I hung up my coat, while she closed the door.

"So…" I started.

"Come on! I want to let you hear it!" she walked into the living room.

She had set up a keyboard near the window, and I raised an eyebrow in question. "I didn't know you could play."

She grinned. "Jared has been teaching me."

"I see." I pulled over a chair and sat down.

She grabbed a tape recorder and pushed the play button. "Listen."

I listened to the music she had recorded. It contained synthesizers only, but I could imagine a beat. "I like it," I said.

"It's not supposed to be an upbeat song," Meca said. "It's not going to be like that."

"No… but it needs some kind of beat." I turned on the keyboard and started pushing buttons. "Something like this..."

We worked for an hour. Once we had added a beat, we started thinking of lyrics, and we ended up having another one of our heated discussions.

"Alright! Alright!" Meca caved with a sigh. "We'll do it your way."

I smirked. "Face it, woman! I'm better."

She grabbed a hand full of my hair and yanked hard, causing me to winch. "Stop being smug, you big softy!"

I managed to free my hair from her grasp and gave her a glare. "Don't call me that."

"What? You don't like my nickname for you?" she taunted.

"You call that a nickname? HA!" I laughed.

She glared at me. I smirked back at her. I loved arguing with her. She was so easy to wind up.

"You just wait!" She said with a sly grin. "I'll write the silliest song ever and have you sing it on our album."

"Yeah, right. Like Yami would allow that."

"Oh, don't worry. I have my ways of convincing him." She cackled evilly.

"You're crazy and you'll mess up our tough image."

"No, just yours," she said. "How about a sappy love song?"

My eyes widened in horror. "No way!"

She burst out laughing. "Just kidding."

I chuckled and grabbed the tape recorder. "Let me work on this."

"Alright." She got up and followed me to the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. And tell that lazy bastard you call your boyfriend that I said 'hi'. He's not still sleeping, is he?"

"He's at the gym," she said with a smirk. "When are you going to get your lazy ass in there?"

"When the Hell freezes over."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure."

I smirked. "See you tomorrow."

She shut the door behind me and I made my way to the parking lot. Maybe the girl was willing to talk now…

**- End chapter 2 - **

Next chapter will be up in another two weeks or so! :)

Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm really sorry to keep you all waiting so long. I was really busy with graduation! But I graduated, and now I have all the time in the world to update. Until I get a job, that is. XD

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**Between Light and Darkness**

**Chapter 3**

The girl still didn't talk. I was frustrated. She was staying at my place, so she could at least tell me a bit about herself. She wasn't being very polite. I knew better than to push the issue, but it was so tempting.

"Yo." Yami snapped his fingers in front of my face.

I shot him a glare. I hated it when people did that. "What?"

"You tell me," he said. "You've been elsewhere with your mind for the past five minutes."

I rolled my eyes. "I was not."

"Sure," Yami said sarcastically. "Anyway… We can start recording within two months. How many songs do we have in total?"

"About twenty five and we're still writing," I answered. "Meca and I worked on a new song yesterday."

"I like the music she came up with." There was pride in Yami's voice. And something else too. It sounded like he still couldn't believe he had her back.

It made me feel like shit.

"Me too," I finally said. "I'm working on the lyrics."

"I know." Yami sipped his coffee. "Do you think we need to write more songs?"

"Nah…" I shook my head. "We should polish the ones we have."

Yami nodded in agreement. He looked out of the window of the diner we were hanging out at. My thoughts drifted back to the girl. How could I get her so far to talk?

"Are you sure there isn't something bothering you?"

"I'm sure," I said. I finished my coffee. "I should go."

"Yeah…" Yami finished his own coffee as well.

We left the diner and headed for the parking lot.

"I'll see you on Wednesday, right?" Yami asked. "Can you bring the lyrics you wrote with you?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Great. See you tomorrow." Yami got into his car.

I got into my own car and drove off.

-x-x-x-

I fixed dinner later that night, and noticed that my guest was biting on her lip a lot; like she was trying to keep herself from talking. She also seemed more at ease. Those were good signs, I decided. It wouldn't take long for her to start talking.

During the time I had left her alone in the past few days, she seemed to have found her way around the apartment. She started setting the table when she noticed that dinner was almost ready, and her certainty about where to find thing definitely told me she had been snooping around. That made me curious. I had nothing to hide, but I wanted to know what she thought of me. But of course, since she refused to talk, I wouldn't find out.

She walked around in my clothes, looking like a little girl. They really were big on her. The grey t-shirt she was wearing had drooped down one shoulder. She ran a hand through her messy hair as she surveyed her work. Everything in her actions spoke of innocence and she seemed to keep herself from skipping as she walked. Really, how old was she?

"I should buy you some clothes," I said.

She whirled around, a look of surprise on her face.

I shrugged. "You can't keep walking around in my clothes."

She looked down and tugged on the hem of the t-shirt. I could see that she was blushing and that made me smirk.

"So… how about we go to the mall tomorrow?"

She looked up with a timid smile and nodded.

"Alright then," I said. "Let's have dinner."

During dinner I tried to keep the one sided conversation going, in hopes that she would say something. She didn't, but I could see that she had to keep herself from talking. She helped me with the dishes afterwards.

"I'm going to work on some music," I said, once we were done.

She gave me a curious stare. What?! She didn't know who I was?

"You know you can talk to me, right?" I encouraged her.

She nodded, but didn't say anything. I sighed with frustration. I had said that to her a few times already, but it hadn't really helped my cause. She was damn stubborn.

I left the kitchen and made my way over to my keyboard, which stood next to the window. Meca's tape recorder lay on top of it. I hit the 'play' button and listened to the music. The idea to add the electric guitar to the song had been playing in my mind since that morning. I sat down and began to work.

I worked for an hour and then took a break. I was satisfied with the music. The lyrics were halfway done. Good progress. I got up and stretched. I was surprised to find her sitting on the couch. There was a small smile on her face and she gestured to a glass of Pepsi on the table.

"Thanks." I took the glass and sipped.

I had been so engrossed in what I was doing, that I hadn't noticed her coming to listen to whatever I was working on.

"Do you like the music?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"I guess you never heard of my band before," I said. "Since you didn't recognize me."

She bit her lip. Something in her expression turned dark, haunted, and it looked utterly misplaced on her innocent features. I felt an urge to go and comfort her, but I knew she wouldn't let me touch her. In the past couple of days she had been very careful to keep her distance. Was she afraid of me?

"Are you afraid of me?" Probably a stupid question to ask anyway.

The girl bit her lip, contemplating my question. Then she slowly shook her head. Good. I got up and made my way over to the couch. I sat down next to her and gave her a small crooked smile. She watched me with those incredible eyes of hers.

"I promise you I won't hurt you, okay?" I said. "And I would really appreciate it if you talked to me."

She gave me a small smile, but she didn't speak. I kept my frustration in check. She knew that I wanted her to talk; now the rest was up to her.

**- End chapter 3 - **

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I would like to point out, for those who haven't noticed it yet, that this story is part of a series. The series is called The Claire-Obscure series. You can find the link to the community I made for it on my profile. There you can find all the story links!

Review please! :)


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